


No. 27 Extreme Weather (Arthur)

by Onehelluvapilot



Series: Whumptober 2020 [28]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural (TV) Fusion, Demonic Possession, Gen, Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Storms, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27227431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot
Summary: Arthur manages to exorcise the disaster demon, but not before it whips up a dangerous windstorm. He takes shelter in his car,  along with the little girl that the demon had been possessing
Series: Whumptober 2020 [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952440
Kudos: 13





	No. 27 Extreme Weather (Arthur)

Arthur had exorcised the disaster demon before it managed to create a full blown hurricane, but the winds it had whipped up were probably at least as strong as a tropical storm and they weren't dissipating quickly. He'd managed to carry the unconscious former vessel to the car as tree branches began to fall around them. It was a good thing she was so light, being just a child, Arthur had been thrown into a tree by the demon and he wouldn't have been able to lift someone heavier due to the bruises over his body and the way his strength was fading along with the adrenaline. On the other hand though, having an unconscious child in his car probably didn't look good either, especially given that she had likely been reported missing and/or kidnapped when the demon possessed her.

A branch hit the top of the car and Arthur abruptly realized that a forested park ten miles out of town was not the best place to be during a windstorm. The odds of a full tree coming down either on or in front of them were too high. As he wondered whether he should try to drive back to town himself or call for help, he found himself wishing Merlin was there with him. The secretary was a bumbling idiot and more trouble than he was worth, most of the time, but he had good ideas sometimes and he was better with kids, in case the little girl woke up. He was also so physically un-intimidating that no one would ever suspect him of being a kidnapper like they might with Arthur.

The idea of being arrested for that was enough to convince the hunter to call for help, as embarrassing as the prospect may be. Kidnappers don't tend to call the police on themselves. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed 911. In response, however, there was just a dial tone. No signal. Arthur was sure he'd been in range before. The storm must've taken down a cell tower. That left him only the option of driving back to town. Reaching over despite the pain it caused in his back, he buckled the little girl into the passenger seat. He wondered whether she was too small for the regular seatbelt and needed a booster seat at least, but he didn't have one on hand.

Pine needles and small branches were whipped across the road as he drove back towards town. Larger branches started to come down too, and with the impeded visibility, Arthur just managed to throw on the brakes in time to avoid crashing into the large tree downed across the road. The sudden stop threw the hunter against his seatbelt. He groaned at the pressure it placed on his ribs and needed a long minute to catch his breath. 

Unfortunately, he was interrupted in the middle of collecting himself by a scream. The little girl had woken up.

"No no no, it's okay it's okay," Arthur frantically tried to reassure her as she struggled with the seatbelt, clearly intending to jump out of the car and make a break for it. He didn't blame her, actually, it was definitely the right thing to do in an actual kidnapping, but if she ran out there now, in the raging gale, she was more likely to get herself hurt.

"The bad thing is gone." Most possession victims had some memory of the demon and what they had done, though they might not know what it was. "The bad thing is gone, I got rid of it, and now I'm going to take you home." He reached over and grabbed the seat belt to prevent her from getting free. "I'm not going to hurt you." The little girl, who had raven black hair and dark eyes, turned to look at him, a skeptical expression on her face. 

"What was it?" She asked.

"A demon. They're very evil, but I promise you, it's gone now."

"You got it out of me?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"I did an exorcism."

"A what? Is that like a magic spell?"

"No!" Arthur insisted vehemently, though the force of it made him cough. Exorcisms weren't magic!

"Really? Then what is it?"

"It's… well, it's words and a ritual that can expel demons, get them out of people."

"That sounds like a spell to me. I know a lot about spells. My mom got me a whole book on witches and I'm going to go as one for Halloween."

"Yeah. Are you gonna scare lots of people?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm gonna be a good witch."

"There's no such thing."

"Why are you so grumpy?"

_ Maybe because you threw me into a tree, _ Arthur thought but didn't say aloud. It wasn't really her, of course, but the demon. He sighed. "I'm just not feeling very good right now. In fact, I think I'm gonna try to call the police to come help us." He pulled out his phone to check, and relievingly, he had service. They must be close enough to town to pick up a signal from a different cell tower.

"Why? I thought you said you were gonna take me home."

"Yes, well, if you hadn't noticed, there's a bit of a tree in our way," he explained, gesturing out the windshield. Under normal conditions, he would have just gotten out of the car and walked around it and into town, but with his whole body aching now, that wouldn't be possible. Nor was it a good idea with the storm. The winds seemed to be dying down a little, but for now, they still howled outside. "Now please just sit quietly while I talk to the police." Coming up with an explanation of why he had a little girl he didn't know in his car would be hard enough without any distractions. But he was hopeful that he could avoid being arrested for kidnapping, especially if he could get the girl to explain that he'd helped her. The important thing was that she was alright. And he would be too, especially if he could get a paramedic to give him something for his obviously cracked ribs.


End file.
